note: pronounced coat-div-whar
former: Ivory Coast
Government type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960
note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing
agreement mandated by international mediators
Capital:
name: Yamoussoukro
geographic coordinates: 6 49 N, 5 17 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since
1983, Abidjan remains the commercial and administrative center; the
US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan
Administrative divisions:
19 regions; Agneby, Bafing, Bas-Sassandra, Denguele, Dix-Huit
Montagnes, Fromager, Haut-Sassandra, Lacs, Lagunes, Marahoue,
Moyen-Cavally, Moyen-Comoe, N'zi-Comoe, Savanes, Sud-Bandama,
Sud-Comoe, Vallee du Bandama, Worodougou, Zanzan
Independence:
7 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 August (1960)
Constitution:
approved by referendum 23 July 2000
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review
in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Alassane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010);
note - former President Laurent GBAGBO has refused to cede power
head of government: Prime Minister Guillaume SORO (since 4 April
2007); note - on 4 December 2010, Gilbert Marie N'GBO AKE was also
appointed to the position by former president GBAGBO
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note -
under the current power-sharing agreement the prime minister and the
president share the authority to appoint ministers
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(no term limits); election last held on 31 October and 28 November
2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Alassane OUATTARA elected president; percent of
vote - Alassane OUATTARA 54.1%, Laurent GBAGBO 45.9%; note -
President OUATTARA was declared winner by the election commission
and took the oath of office on 4 December, Prime Minister SORO
resigned from the incumbent administration and was subsequently
appointed to the same position by OUATTARA; former president GBAGBO
refused to cede and on 5 December appointed Gilbert Marie N'GBO AKE
as Prime Minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (225 seats;
members elected in single- and multi-district elections by direct
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: elections last held on 10 December 2000 with by-elections
on 14 January 2001 (elections originally scheduled for 2005 have
been repeatedly postponed by the government)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
FPI 96, PDCI-RDA 94, RDR 5, PIT 4, other 2, independents 22, vacant 2
note: a Senate was scheduled to be created in October 2006 elections
that never took place
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consists of four chambers: Judicial
Chamber for criminal cases, Audit Chamber for financial cases,
Constitutional Chamber for judicial review cases, and Administrative
Chamber for civil cases; there is no legal limit to the number of
members
Political parties and leaders:
Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Theodore MEL EG]; Democratic
Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE]; Ivorian Popular
Front or FPI [Pascale Affi N'GUESSAN]; Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT
[Francis WODIE]; Opposition Movement of the Future or MFA [Innocent
Augustin ANAKY]; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Alassane
OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI
[Toikeuse MABRI]; over 144 smaller registered parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Federation of University and High School Students of Cote d'Ivoire
or FESCI [Serges KOFFI]; Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and
Peace or RHDP [Alphonse DJEDJE MADY]; Young Patriots [Charles BLE
GOUDE]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS (suspended), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF,
OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU,
WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yao Charles KOFFI
chancery: 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300
FAX: [1] (202) 244-3088
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Wanda L. NESBITT
embassy: Cocody Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan
mailing address: B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01
telephone: [225] 22 49 40 00
FAX: [225] 22 49 43 32
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green;
orange symbolizes the land (savannah) of the north and fertility,
white stands for peace and unity, green represents the forests of
the south and the hope for a bright future
note: similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and has the
colors reversed - green (hoist side), white, and orange; also
similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side), white,
and red; design was based on the flag of France
National anthem:
name: "L'Abidjanaise" (Song of Abidjan)
lyrics/music: Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie
COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO
note: adopted 1960; although the nation's capital city moved from
Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in 1983, the anthem still owes its name to
the former capital
Economy ::Cote d'Ivoire
Economy - overview:
Cote d'Ivoire is heavily dependent on agriculture and related
activities, which engage roughly 68% of the population. Cote
d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans
and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil.
Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in
international prices for these products, and, to a lesser extent, in
climatic conditions. Cocoa, oil, and coffee are the country's top
export revenue earners, but the country is also producing gold.
Since the end of the civil war in 2003, political turmoil has
continued to damage the economy, resulting in the loss of foreign
investment and slow economic growth. GDP grew by more than 2% in
2008 and around 4% per year in 2009-10. Per capita income has
declined by 15% since 1999, but registered a slight improvement in
2009-10. Power cuts caused by a turbine failure in early 2010 slowed
economic activity. Cote d'Ivoire in 2010 signed agreements to
restructure its Paris Club bilateral, other bilateral, and London
Club debt. Cote d'Ivoire's long term challenges include political
instability and degrading infrastructure.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$37.8 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
$36.48 billion (2009 est.)
$35.01 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$22.38 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
4.2% (2009 est.)
2.3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,800 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
$1,800 (2009 est.)
$1,700 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 28.2%
industry: 21.3%
services: 50.6% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
7.617 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 68%
industry and services: NA (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA
note: unemployment may have climbed to 40-50% as a result of the
civil war
Population below poverty line:
42% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 34% (2002)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44.6 (2002)
country comparison to the world: 44
36.7 (1995)
Investment (gross fixed):
9.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
Public debt:
63.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
66.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
0.9% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 101
4.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)
NA% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$5.094 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 87
$4.959 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$7.653 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
$7.437 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$5.448 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
$5.308 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$6.141 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 73
$7.071 billion (31 December 2008)
$8.353 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc
(tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber
Industries:
foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, truck and bus
assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity,
ship construction and repair
Industrial production growth rate:
4.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Electricity - production:
5.275 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
Electricity - consumption:
3.231 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
Electricity - exports:
772 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
58,950 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Oil - consumption:
24,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Oil - exports:
115,700 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Oil - imports:
80,960 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Oil - proved reserves:
250 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
Natural gas - production:
1.3 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Natural gas - consumption:
1.3 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
Natural gas - proved reserves:
28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Current account balance:
$534 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
$1.67 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$10.25 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
$10.5 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm
oil, fish
Exports - partners:
Netherlands 13.92%, France 10.75%, US 7.79%, Germany 7.2%, Nigeria
6.99%, Ghana 5.56% (2009)
Imports:
$7.015 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
$6.318 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Nigeria 20.75%, France 14.19%, China 7.18%, Thailand 5.09% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.985 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
$3.267 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$11.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
$11.34 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 506.04
(2010), 472.19 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 481.83 (2007), 522.89 (2006)
Communications ::Cote d'Ivoire
Telephones - main lines in use:
282,100 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 117
Telephones - mobile cellular:
13.346 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 53
Telephone system:
general assessment: well developed by African standards;
telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and operational
fixed-lines have increased since that time with two fixed-line
providers operating over open-wire lines, microwave radio relay, and
fiber-optics; 90% digitalized
domestic: with multiple mobile-cellular service providers competing
in the market, usage has increased sharply to roughly 65 per 100
persons
international: country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
state-owned television operates 2 stations; no private terrestrial
TV stations, but satellite TV subscription service is available;
state-owned radio operates 2 stations; some private radio stations;
transmissions of several international broadcasters are available
(2007)
Internet country code:
.ci
Internet hosts:
9,865 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 121
Internet users:
967,300 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 103
Transportation ::Cote d'Ivoire
Airports:
27 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 121
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Pipelines:
condensate 86 km; gas 180 km; oil 92 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 660 km
country comparison to the world: 108
narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000 meter gauge
note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina
Faso (2008)
Roadways:
total: 80,000 km
country comparison to the world: 60
paved: 6,500 km
unpaved: 73,500 km
note: includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt
roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are
impassable (2006)
Waterways:
980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons)
(2008)
country comparison to the world: 67
Ports and terminals:
Abidjan, Espoir, San-Pedro
Military ::Cote d'Ivoire
Military branches:
Cote d'Ivoire Defense and Security Forces (FDSCI): Army, Navy, Air
Force (2006)
Military service age and obligation:
18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary male and female
military service; voluntary recruitment of former rebels into the
new national army is restricted to ages 22-29 (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,094,762
females age 16-49: 4,895,446 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,242,965
females age 16-49: 3,069,569 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 240,989
female: 237,180 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.5% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 97
Transnational Issues ::Cote d'Ivoire
Disputes - international:
despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote
d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict still leaves displaced hundreds
of thousands of Ivorians in and out of the country as well as driven
out migrants from neighboring states who worked in Ivorian cocoa
plantations; the March 2007 peace deal between Ivorian rebels and
the government brought significant numbers of rebels out of hiding
in neighboring states
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 25,615 (Liberia)
IDPs: 709,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
Cote d'Ivoire is a source, transit, and destination country for
women and children trafficked for forced labor and commercial sexual
exploitation; trafficking within the country is more prevalent than
international trafficking and the majority of victims are children;
women and girls are trafficked from northern areas to southern
cities for domestic servitude, restaurant labor, and sexual
exploitation; boys are trafficked internally for agricultural and
service labor and transnationally for forced labor in agriculture,
mining, construction, and in the fishing industry; women and girls
are trafficked to and from other West and Central African countries
for domestic servitude and forced street vending
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cote d'Ivoire is on the Tier 2
Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts
to eliminate trafficking in 2007, particularly with regard to its
law enforcement efforts and protection of sex trafficking victims;
in addition, Ivoirian law does not prohibit all forms of
trafficking, and Cote d'Ivoire has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP
Protocol (2008)
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; utility
as a narcotic transshipment point to Europe reduced by ongoing
political instability; while rampant corruption and inadequate
supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering,
the lack of a developed financial system limits the country's
utility as a major money-laundering center (2008)
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Croatia (Europe)
Introduction ::Croatia
Background:
The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the
Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as
Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal
independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO.
Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991,
it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before
occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under
UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was
returned to Croatia in 1998. In April 2009, Croatia joined NATO; it
is a candidate for eventual EU accession.
Geography ::Croatia
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates:
45 10 N, 15 30 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 56,594 sq km
country comparison to the world: 126
land: 55,974 sq km
water: 620 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,982 km
border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km,
Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 455 km
Coastline:
5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with
hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Terrain:
geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low
mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Dinara 1,831 m
Natural resources:
oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum,
natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 25.82%
permanent crops: 2.19%
other: 71.99% (2005)
Irrigated land:
110 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
105.5 cu km (1998)
Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is
damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic
waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure
consequent to 1992-95 civil strife
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94,
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and
Turkish Straits; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of
Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks
People ::Croatia
Population:
4,486,881 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.6% (male 358,360/female 340,098)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 1,506,364/female 1,522,789)
65 years and over: 17% (male 295,960/female 465,838) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.2 years
male: 39.3 years
female: 43 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.061% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
Birth rate:
9.63 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
Death rate:
11.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
Net migration rate:
1.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Urbanization:
urban population: 57% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.055 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 175
male: 6.33 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.58 years
country comparison to the world: 80
male: 71.95 years
female: 79.4 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.43 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 10 (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in
this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases
possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s)
adjective: Croatian
Ethnic groups:
Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, other 5.9% (including Bosniak, Hungarian,
Slovene, Czech, and Roma) (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim
1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2% (2001 census)
Languages:
Croatian (official) 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9%
(including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001
census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1%
male: 99.3%
female: 97.1% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (2004)
country comparison to the world: 112
Government ::Croatia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
conventional short form: Croatia
local long form: Republika Hrvatska
local short form: Hrvatska
former: People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia
Government type:
presidential/parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Zagreb
geographic coordinates: 45 48 N, 16 00 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions: